Acer, David: Natural Selections II ©1999 Camirand Academy of Magic Inc. Hardcover, w/dj, 201 pages ISBN 1-895609-25-9

Image courtesy Magicref

Comments (Magicref): A great collection of good and sometimes quirky magic. Well explained with plenty of B&W photos to show the details. Each effect ends with comments with additional hints and tips, and Simon Lovell presents a lot of advice as well. Also, good credit is provided to other influences & references.

Contents:

v Acknowledgments
1 Table of Contents
5 Foreword (David Regal): about David Acer and this book
7 Introduction (Simon Lovell): Accolades for the book

9 Chapter 1: Walkaround Miracles
9 Time Flies: A quarter is placed in the pocket and a watch is waved over the empty hand. Time travel happens as the quarter is back in the hand and the watch is back on the wrist!
14 Mail Fraud: a clever postcard routine using the "Out to Lunch" principle
18 Intangibill: an impromptu finger through dollar bill routine
21 R.I.P.: magician tells the difference between a rip and tear by tearing one corner, the ripping the rest of the card into three more pieces. These pieces are rejoined one at a time, and the final torn piece matches
30 Madcap: Finger thrust through a bottle cap, and the cap is restored
34 Another Restoration (Simon Lovell): an alternate restoration of the bottle cap

37 A Day In the Life #1: The Sanders Incident. A funny anecdote.

39 Chapter 2: Professional Card Magic
39 Double Vision: A selection matches a prediction card, then the magician changes both cards to match again. Includes the Ed Balducci Cut-Deeper Force
43 Symmetry: The wings on a Bicycle Card Angel are marked by the spectator while a mirror is held in its center. When the mirror is removed, the other Angel's wings are colored in as well! Uses the K.M. Move (Kardyro/Marlo)
48 Twisting the Acers: Four face up Aces turn face down one at a time, then all four turn face up. Includes he Buckle Count; Siva Count (Jack Avis); Modified Buckle Count; and the Annemann/Christ Alignment Move
56 Diamonds are Forever: An initialed 7 of Diamonds is turned into a 6 of Diamonds, the extra diamond pip becoming a "real" diamond. Explains the Turnover Move
61 All But One (Jay Sankey and David Acer): Selection is returned to the deck, which is placed back in the case. Magician states the card will penetrate the case and the table, but it turns out the whole deck except the selection penetrates the table instead.
63 All But One Two: an alternate ending for the above
65 The Montreal Transpo (Jay Sankey and David Acer): A prediction is written on a envelope, which matches a selection. The selection is placed in the envelope, and a 2nd selection is made. The prediction is shown to be correct again, and the new selection transposes with the card in the envelope.
70 This Side Up: The Face Up deck is placed in the card case and immediately removed, now face down. Explains the Mechanical Reverse (Ken Krenzel)
76 Hofsinzer's Delusion: A selection is held by the spectator and four Aces are introduced. One Ace reverses itself, the same suit as the selection. When turned over, the Ace and the Selection have transposed.
79 Reverse-Logic: Magician deals 9 cards, asks spectator to add one, but there are only 9. Spectator adds another one, now there are 7. Magician gives spectator the packet and deals one more card, and now there are 6. Two cards are removed from the 6 card packet, but now there are 8. A selection is chosen and returned to the main deck, whereupon it appears in the 8 card (now 9) packet. Explains the Tip-Over Change (Jack Merlin)

85 A Day In the Life #2: Lovell, Sisti & Hurlbert. Another humorous anecdote

87 Chapter 3: Beginning, Middle and End
87 Ripped Torn (L'il John): A comedy gag on the opening of a card case
88 Ripped Torn Healed: David's approach for using the above as part of an effect
90 Movin' On Up: An interlude for an Ambitious Card routine, the selection moves up the deck little by little, then drops out completely. Teaches the Turnover Pass
96 The Card Also Rises: the selection rises from the card case

101 A Day in the Life #3: Language Barrier. How a language barrier saved the day...

103 Chapter 4: Oddities & Undercurrents
103 Supernova: a clever use of a FISM Flash and a balloon
105 Lethal Force: Force card is face up and 2nd from the Top. Includes two methods for getting the deck into this position.
109 Acereverse: Method for reversing a card in the deck
111 Slow Motion Classic Pass: David's approach to the Classic Pass
114 The Card Warp Get-Ready: A cleaner way to start the Roy Walton Card Warp routine
117 The Wave Change: A coin is held in the palm up left hand and the right hand is waved over, changing the coin into another one. To be performed seated.
119 The Smile And Wave Change (Guy Camirand & David Acer): a handling that removes the need for lapping, though you are not left as clean.
121 Endless Chain - The Finger Ring Subtlety: Use of a finger ring in an Endless Chain or Loopy Loop routine to provide additional simplicity and potential for further magic
123 Ghost In the Machine: an Agent joke; and a quickie card routine for when you are next to a vending machine that takes dollars

125 A Day In the Life #4: The Nooner. The difficulties of a noon-day show.

127 Chapter 5: Sandwichcraft
127 Flipwich: an instant and visible change of a sandwiched card with the flip of the wrist
130 Zenwich: a routine to frame the Flipwich move
132 Color Scheme: Another routine for the Flipwich, a selection immediately changes back color, then reverts to the original
134 The Ferret Fliperoo (Simon Lovell): the visible printing of a business card, using the Flipwich
136 Printed Matter: Three selections are made and placed on the table. A blank deck is shown, and three blank cards removed. One blank card prints to match one selection, then another. Then two blank cards become copies of the third selection. Finally, the entire deck prints and the cards are duplicates of the 3rd selection. Explains: The Touch Force (Gary Ouellet); The Riffle Force; The Drop Injog (LePaul/Hofsinzer); The Running Control (David Acer); The Cut-Deeper Force (Ed Balducci); The Swing Cut; The Swivel Cut; Diminishing Lift Sequence; The Flushtration Count (Bro. John Hamman & JC Wagner); The Rhumba Count (J.P.Vallarino)

153 A Day In the Life #5: The Battery. Be careful when transporting batteries...

155 Chapter 6: Sudden Impact
155 Heavy Credit: A credit card is placed on top of the wallet, where it vanishes and is found back inside. Uses the Cardini Snap Color Change
160 The Pagemaster (Jay Sankey & David Acer): Spectator inserts a piece of paper in a book and opens to that page. The first word on the page matches the word on the slip of paper.
163 The Cardmaster: a variation with miniature playing cards
164 Quartermain: Three Coins penetrate a card deck one at a time into a glass. Includes: The Turnover Move, The Rubber Coin Illusion; The Benzais Friction Grip (Johnny Benzais); The Click Pass; The French Canadian Drop (Gary Ouellet)

171 A Day In the Life #6: The Bullet Catch. Be sure to check the sound levels before you start a recording...

174 Chapter 7: Essays: Restaurant Magic and Jim Sisti's Magic Menu magazine
174 Someone's Coming Over, and It's Not the Waiter!: How to approach a table
176 Full Contact: Contact lenses turn into glasses
179 A Prop By Any Other Name...: On the use of usual and unusual props (usual being preferred for restaurant magic).
180 The Time Machine (Richard Sanders & David Acer): justifying the use of a Chop Cup with a simple presentation
181 The Chop Mug and Creamers: a quick idea for a total restaurant look to the Chop Cup
183 Getting Press: The Hook, What To Send, Who to Send it To, etc.

189 Bonus Marketed Magic: Alternate handlings for commercial effects. The commercial effects are not described in detail.
189 Nomen Omen - In the original trick, a "name deck" is shown with the name of a person written on the back of every card. Two predictions are made, with both a freely chosen card and a freely chosen name matching. Three alternate approaches are provided: The "Collection" Approach by Ken Schwabe; Star Power;  and CardTune by David Acer and Michel Huot.
192 Spare Change Meets the Bent Penny (Tim Trono): An alternate ending wherein the dime does not change into a quarter, but rather is squeezed so hard it bends.
192 Pickpocket Plus (Joe Cole): Joe combined Bumper Magic's "Betcha" effect with David's "Pickpocket" packet trick to instantly change the playing card with four quarters on it into a dollar bill.
192 Shot in the Dark (A Professional Presentation): A full performance presentation for Hiroshi Kondo's "Shot in the Dark" card trick

199 Credits: list of publications that featured earlier versions of some of the effects in this book